Plastic Waste in the Ocean and Possible Degradation by Bacteria

Linda Crampton is a biology teacher who is interested in environmental issues. She is very concerned about the harmful effects of pollution.

Plastic eggs containing jelly beans are fun for children but bad for the environment | Source

An Escalating Problem

Plastic use is increasing rapidly in many parts of the world today and is changing human lives. Plastics are certainly useful, but the tendency of many people to throw away them away when they're no longer needed is creating a major pollution problem. Plastic breaks down very slowly and may release toxic substances as it degrades. Some of the discarded items enter the ocean, where they harm and kill marine animals.

Plastic in the ocean exists not only as chunks and pieces but also as microplastic. Microplastic fragments are less than five millimeters long. The fragments form as larger pieces of plastic in seawater slowly degrade. They are also released into the sewage system when clothing made of plastic fibres such as polyester and acrylic is washed. Microplastic is widespread in the ocean and is especially concentrated in the so-called "garbage patches". These are places in the ocean where water currents trap garbage or pollutants in the area.

Bacteria help to decompose many types of waste. According to the present state of our knowledge, though, there don't seem to be many bacteria that can break down plastic. Some bacteria can decompose bioplastics, which are made from plants such as corn, however.

Researchers have discovered that microplastic in the Atlantic Ocean has been colonized by a group of bacteria. The bacteria may be able to degrade the plastic particles. Researchers are slowly finding other bacteria that may help to break down plastic. The problem of removing the material from the ocean is far from being solved, however.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is an area of ocean in the North Pacific Gyre. It contains a large amount of microplastic. | Source

What Is Plastic?

A plastic is a synthetic material made of an organic polymer. The word "organic" means that the molecules making up the plastic contain carbon atoms. A "polymer" is a long chain of molecules joined together. Most plastics are made of petrochemicals (chemicals produced from petroleum or natural gas).

Plastics usually contain additives to improve them in some way. Examples of these additives include pigments, flame retardants, stabilizers, plasticizers to improve softness and flexibility, and reinforcers to make the material tougher.

Plastic waste from a single village | Source

Sources of Plastic Waste

The list of plastic items in many people's lives is a long one. A partial list is given below. Sometimes an alternate product can be found with the same function as a plastic item, but not always.

How Does Plastic Enter the Ocean?

Plastic waste may be deposited in the ocean directly or indirectly. Some is deliberately dropped off ships or offshore platforms or is blown or washed off. Some is tossed into the sea by people on land. The rest is blown off the land or washed off by moving water. Plastic deposited in land fills or casually dropped on the ground may eventually reach the ocean.

Altogether, these methods deposit a significant amount of plastic into the ocean every year. The old idea that the oceans are so vast that anything dropped into them will be diluted and have no effect is no longer valid.

It is estimated that about 80% of marine debris originates as land-based trash and the remaining 20% is attributed to at-sea intentional or accidental disposal or loss of goods and waste.

— Environmental Protection Agency

World Oceans Day Statement About Pollution

Plastic Degradation

A commonly held belief is that plastic doesn't break down, apart from the new, biodegradable plastics. This isn't true, however. Regular plastic does break down, but usually very slowly.

Ultraviolet light from the sun breaks some plastics down in as little as a year, while other plastics are thought to need hundreds of years to break down. The light breaks the bonds holding the "building blocks" of the polymer chain together.

Although degradation of plastics sounds like a good thing, it may not be so wonderful. Research suggests that when plastics degrade, they don't disappear but become small pieces of microplastic.

Microplastic fragments enter the bodies of animals. The effects of microplastics on living things aren't known for certain, but their presence worries some researchers, especially as their concentration is increasing. The term "plastic soup" is sometimes used for a region in the ocean that is laden with microplastic particles.

Another problem that develops from plastic degradation is that as the material disintegrates it releases the additives that were used to improve its properties. Some of these additives are known to be harmful to living things, including humans.

Some people think that biodegradable plastics can be left in a landfill and will then be broken down by bacteria. Unfortunately, this isn't the case. When they are buried in a landfill, biodegradable plastics aren't exposed to enough oxygen, light, and moisture to break down.

One type of biodegradable plastic is the bioplastic family. Bioplastics are derived from living things, such as corn. They must be sent to a commercial composting plant to be decomposed by specific bacteria under specific environmental conditions. If this isn't done, they are as dangerous for the environment as regular plastics.

Plastic crates | Source

Waste and Recycling Statistics in the United States

According to the Environmental Protection Agency or EPA, the following statistics were obtained from 2015 with respect to municipal solid waste. (Comparable statistics from more recent years are unavailable at the moment.)

34.5 million tons of plastic waste was generated.

26 million tons entered landfills (75% of the amount of plastic generated).

5.4 million tons underwent combustion with energy recovery.

3.14 million tons was recycled (a 9.1% recycling rate)

The 2014 data was close in value to that from 2015. The recycling rate in 2014 was 9.6%. As can be seen from the data, our love of plastic is creating a major waste problem.

Plastic beach | Source

Effects of Plastic on Marine Animals

Plastic pollution can have serious consequences for ocean life. Large pieces of plastic may be mistaken for prey and eaten. Sea turtles and whales may mistake a billowing plastic bag for a squid, for example. The plastic may block the animal's airway, causing suffocation, or block the stomach, leading to starvation. It may also prevent food absorption though the intestinal wall or leach toxic substances, poisoning the animal.

In 2013, a dead sperm whale washed up on a Spanish beach with over 37 pounds of plastic debris in its stomach. The plastic existed in the form of 59 different items and included thick plastic sheets, plastic bags, rope, hosepipe, two flower pots, and a plastic spray canister. The animal is believed to have died from starvation.

The items in the whale's stomach came from a huge greenhouse industry nearby. The greenhouses occupy almost 99,000 acres and can be seen in satellite views of Earth. Much of the plastic waste produced by the industry is treated in special centers, but a significant amount escapes into the ocean.

Unfortunately, the sperm whale's fate was not unique. Dead whales containing plastic in their digestive tract are still being discovered. In 2019, a curvier beaked whale in the Philippines was found to have 88 pounds of plastic inside its body.

Another problem that develops from plastic waste is that some animals become trapped in the plastic six-pack rings used to carry canned drinks. The rings may cause the animal to suffocate or starve. They may also cause an infection if they injure the animal's skin. Yet another problem that may arise is that plastic debris may cover and kill seaweeds or coral. This may indirectly harm the creatures that depend on the seaweeds or coral for survival.

In 2013, a dead sperm whale was found in Spain with over 37 pounds of plastic and 59 plastic items in its stomach. | Source

Pellets or Nurdles

One of the most common forms of visible plastic in the ocean and on beaches is the plastic nurdle. Nurdles are small pellets which are used to make larger objects. Birds and aquatic animals may eat these, mistaking them for fish eggs. Like larger pieces of plastic, nurdles can cause suffocation, starvation, or poisoning. Nurdles may contain toxic substances added during their formation and may also absorb toxins from their environment.

Nurdles are sometimes called "mermaid tears". They enter the marine environment when they are spilled during their production or transport. Unfortunately, they mix with the sand on beaches, making it very hard to remove them.

Ocean Garbage Patches

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch isn't covered by a blanket of large, easily visible pieces of trash, as some people imagine. Instead, it contains a high concentration of microplastic.

Microplastics

Microplastics are fragments of plastic that are less than 5 mm in length or diameter. They are made from the breakdown of larger pieces of plastic. They're also shed from clothing made from synthetic fibers as the clothing is washed in a washing machine. The microbeads in cosmetics and some industrial products are usually microplastics, too.

Plastic pollution combined with ocean circulation patterns is responsible for the creation of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, an area in the Pacific Ocean with an unusually high microplastic concentration. Microplastic is found far beyond the garbage patch, however. As scientists do tests in different parts of the world, they are discovering that ocean microplastic has a very widepread distribution.

It's impossible to remove microplastics from sea water. Their particles are too small, too numerous, and too widespread. While larger pieces of plastic and some of the substances leached from them are known to be harmful, the effects of microplastics are not so clear. Researchers know that the particles are entering the bodies of marine animals and being stored there. They may leach toxic substances, just like larger pieces of plastic, but this has yet to be confirmed.

Turtles are especially susceptible to damage by plastic pollution in the ocean. This is a green turtle. | Source

Leached Toxins from Plastic

Two examples of potential toxins leached from plastic are bisphenol A (or BPA) and chemicals known as phthalates.

Bisphenol A is used in the manufacture of clear polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins. It's an endocrine disruptor (a substance that interferes with the action of hormones). The view of the NIH (National Institutes of Health) is that at current exposure levels BPA is not harmful for adult humans, but there is "some concern" about the exposure of fetuses, infants, and children to the chemical. BPA is dangerous for at least some marine animals.

Different kinds of phthalates exist. The chemicals are added to polyvinyl chloride to increase its softness and are also added to cosmetics. Phthalates are thought to be endocrine disruptors in humans and animals. Some members of the family seem to be more dangerous than others. As is the case with BPA, research is ongoing. One type of phthalate is thought to be a carcinogen (cancer causer) in humans. High levels of another kind may interfere with reproduction or development.

PLA plastic can be made from corn. | Source

PLA Plastic

One type of bioplastic is polylactic acid, or PLA. PLA is made from corn starch in North America but is also produced from tapioca roots and sugarcane.

Two environmentally friendly ways to get rid of unwanted PLA plastic exist. One method is to use bacteria to break the material down into carbon dioxide and water. The bacteria are added to the plastic at a high temperature in a commercial composting facility. The decomposition process generally takes three to six months.

The other way to deal with unwanted PLA plastic is to melt it and then pass it through an extruder, which will form a new shape from the material. Other types of plastic can also be recycled in this way. Some extruders are cheap enough for many consumers to buy. This is good because of the growing popularity and affordability of 3D printers. Consumer-level 3D printers produce solid objects from hot, melted plastic, so it's important that a good way to deal with unwanted plastic objects is available.

Making Plastic From Corn

Possible Degradation by Bacteria in Nature

In June 2011, scientists from the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, reported that they had collected bits of microplastic from the North Atlantic Ocean and found that they had bacteria on their surface. The bacterial community in the "plastisphere" habitat was different from the community in the surrounding water.

The microplastic fragments had tiny pits on their surface. The pits matched the shape of the bacteria. In addition, the researchers identified plastisphere bacteria that could break down hydrocarbons, which are found in plastics. These observations led the scientists to believe that the bacteria were degrading the microplastic. It's unknown whether the bacteria in the plastisphere convert plastics into harmless chemicals or instead release toxins from the plastic as they degrade it (if in fact they do degrade it). The bacteria may be beneficial, harmful, or both at the same time.

Other bacteria have been found to break down plastic in lab experiments, although as in the above example it's unknown how significant this is in natural environments. It's possible that plastic-degrading bacteria may one day be useful to us. We are in no way ready to release the bacteria into the ocean and may not be so for a long time, however. Though the research is continuing and may eventually be useful, we need solutions to the plastic problem now.

How to Make a Corn Bioplastic at Home

A Plastic Waste Poll

How do you deal with the plastic waste that you create in your life?

I'm very concerned about plastic waste. I try hard to avoid plastic or to recycle it.

I'm concerned about plastic waste. I avoid it sometimes and/or do some recycling.

I'm concerned about plastic waste but haven't started to deal with the waste in my life yet.

Reducing the Use of Plastic

Plastic is so ubiquitous in most people's lives that it may be hard to avoid it. There are many websites that either help people lead plastic-free lives or help them to greatly reduce their use of the material. If a person searches for "living plastic free" on the Internet, they'll find page after page of useful links.

A plastic-free lifestyle does require some creative thinking. In some cases the lifestyle is too inconvenient or too expensive for a family or individual to follow rigidly. Sometimes it simply isn't possible to avoid plastic. After all, a person can't refuse to accept a needed medication just because it's in a plastic container.

The best solution for the plastic problem is to encourage people to reduce their use of the material significantly and to find better ways to either recycle their plastic or break it down. Lobbying companies to find alternatives for plastic containers or products may be helpful, but not if the alternate product is more expensive.

Researchers and inventors are investigating new types of biodegradable plastics. These may be very helpful in the future, as long as they have other necessary properties (such as strength) in addition to being biodegradable.

We definitely need to change the way in which we deal with plastic. We are harming ocean life with our debris. Since humans eat marine animals such as fish, we may also be harming ourselves.

Comments

No HTML is allowed in comments, but URLs will be hyperlinked. Comments are not for promoting your articles or other sites.

sending

AUTHOR

Linda Crampton

2 years agofrom British Columbia, Canada

Hi, Angel. It is a sad reality. I hope the situation changes very soon. Thank you for commenting.

Angel Guzman

2 years agofrom Joliet, Illinois

A truly eye opening experience sad reality reading this. I knew but not to this depth.

AUTHOR

Linda Crampton

5 years agofrom British Columbia, Canada

Hi, Heidi. I appreciate your comment and the votes! The use of plastics must be a serious problem in your industry. It's great that you are trying to improve the situation.

Heidi Thorne

5 years agofrom Chicago Area

Being in the promotional products industry, you can imagine that plastic concerns are concerns for me, too. That's why I always recommend that customers seriously consider whether they really need to buy any promotional item and reduce their purchase to the smallest quantity needed. Excellent review of the plastics situation! Voted up and interesting!

AUTHOR

Linda Crampton

5 years agofrom British Columbia, Canada

Hi, Nadine. Thank you for the comment and the share! Like you, I avoid or recycle plastic, but you are so right - there need to be fewer plastic items on sale!

Nadine May

5 years agofrom Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

Great hub in this very worrying situation. It's hard-breaking when you see the damage it does to birds alone. We take our own material bags to the shops. We aim for items that are packaged in glass, and yes we recycle plastic every 2 weeks, but its the retail stores and packaging companies that need to find better ways away from using plastic, or we as consumers must stop buying those products altogether. I will share this hub. Thanks

AUTHOR

Linda Crampton

5 years agofrom British Columbia, Canada

Thank you so much for the kind comment, the votes and the shares, Mary! When I was a child milk was routinely sold in glass bottles. Now milk in bottles seems to be sold only by specialist dairies, at least where I live. Edible wrapping for food is an excellent idea. We definitely need to find some creative ways to reduce our use of plastic!

Mary Hyatt

5 years agofrom Florida

I applaud you for all the research you did on this Hub! I remember when items were purchased in glass. I try to stay away from plastics as much as possible.

Another interesting concept I think is the idea of foods made with an edible wrapping. I wrote a Hub about that. That would eliminate plastic covering for a lot of foods.

One of my pet peeves is all the unnecessary wrapping that is used on everyday purchases.

Voted UP,etc. and shared. Will also share on Google+

AUTHOR

Linda Crampton

5 years agofrom British Columbia, Canada

I agree, Artois52! Using less packaging on some items would be a great step forward. Thank you very much got the comment.

Artois52

5 years agofrom England

Great hub. I think more should be done to discourage manufacturers using too much packaging generally. They seem to think that more packaging infers a higher quality. A lot of packaging is unnecessary and less of it would make actually getting into some products a lot less annoying as well as being better for the environment!

AUTHOR

Linda Crampton

5 years agofrom British Columbia, Canada

Thank you very much for the comment and the vote, Vellur. I hope that bacteria that can quickly degrade plastic are found, too. We need to reduce plastic waste right now, though, as you suggest!

Nithya Venkat

5 years agofrom Dubai

I wish scientists will be able to find bacteria that can easily get rid of plastic waste. Till then I think we should reuse plastic containers as much as we can or use biodegradable plastic. Interesting and informative hub, voted up.

AUTHOR

Linda Crampton

5 years agofrom British Columbia, Canada

Thanks for the comment, DDE. I appreciate your visit.

Devika Primić

5 years agofrom Dubrovnik, Croatia

Bacteria and Plastic Waste in the Ocean well said such waste can harm the ocean and the precious life that exists, very important information.

AUTHOR

Linda Crampton

6 years agofrom British Columbia, Canada

Hi, Glimmer. Yes, the plastic situation is very disturbing. Some people either don't realize what's happening to the ocean or don't care. Perhaps they think that the ocean is so vast that it doesn't matter what we dump into it, which is no longer the case! Thank you very much for the visit and the comment.

Claudia Mitchell

6 years ago

While this is an incredibly interesting and useful hub, it is also disturbing to me. Take a walk along any beach, river or stream and you'll find plastic trash everywhere. It's quite sad to see and the harm this trash is doing is devastating. Well done hub!

AUTHOR

Linda Crampton

6 years agofrom British Columbia, Canada

I hope you're right, UberGeekGirl, but right now many people don't consider the ways in which humans are harming the oceans and ocean life and aren't changing their damaging behaviors. People's lives with plastic may be just fine, but the changes in the ocean and its life aren't. It's not only our plastic waste that's damaging the ocean, but other factors caused by humans too, such as destructive fishing methods. Perhaps we will eventually reach a crisis point where the state of the oceans affects us so strongly that we are forced to adapt and make widespread changes in the ways in which we treat the oceans.

Michelle Harlow

6 years agofrom Calgary

Society adjusted just fine to every other huge change just fine... cars over horses, airplanes over trains, plastic over paper :) We're human, we adapt.

AUTHOR

Linda Crampton

6 years agofrom British Columbia, Canada

Thank you so much for the wonderful support, Deb! I appreciate the votes and the share very much. I've noticed "specialized" trash and recycling containers building up in my community, which is a very good thing. I just hope that the slowly building awareness of the dangers of plastic waste develops fast enough to stop an ecological disaster.

Deb Hirt

6 years agofrom Stillwater, OK

Very well done, Alicia, which of course, ties in with living a green lifestyle. I have a friend that uses plastic pill bottles for crafts. I picked up some trash at the lake today, as I do many days. The city even put extra trash receptacles, which helps me dispose of this material without having to carry it far. Awesome, up, and sharing. If I knew how to attach this to Life at Boomer Lake, I would do so.

AUTHOR

Linda Crampton

6 years agofrom British Columbia, Canada

Thank you, pinto2011. It's great to hear that you've stopped using plastic! That's a wonderful way to help the environment.

Subhas

6 years agofrom New Delhi, India

Hi AliciaC! Thumbs up to you for taking up such an important environment issue. I have stopped using any kind of plastic. I carry cloth bag and different types of containers for my shopping.

AUTHOR

Linda Crampton

6 years agofrom British Columbia, Canada

Thank you very much for the comment, Sue. I appreciate the vote, pin and share, too!

Thank you for the comment and the vote, Dianna. I have the same approach to plastic as you. I try to avoid it, and when I can't, I recycle it or reuse it in some way.

Dianna Mendez

6 years ago

I do try to avoid plastic, but when I buy it I recyle. Great post on protecting our environment and marine life. Voted up++

AUTHOR

Linda Crampton

6 years agofrom British Columbia, Canada

Hi, Elias. Thank you for the visit and the comment. Yes, I talk about plastic waste in this hub, but other types of garbage enter the oceans, too. It's a sad situation.

AUTHOR

Linda Crampton

6 years agofrom British Columbia, Canada

Hi, Bill. I'm very glad to hear that other people are concerned about plastic! I appreciate your comment. Thank you for the vote, the share and the pin, too.

Elias Zanetti

6 years agofrom Athens, Greece

The amount of plastic and other garbage that end up in the oceans in huge and causes many problems by further polluting the natural environment of marine file and not only. Very interesting and useful hub that contributes to public awareness about plastic waste in the ocean.

Bill De Giulio

6 years agofrom Massachusetts

Great Hub Alicia. I thought about doing a hub on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch a while ago but it never materialized. You have done a terrific job with this topic. It really is a shame that a lot of the plastic winds up in the ocean and affects the marine life. This has become a pet peeve of mine, trying to reduce our use of plastic. Excellent research. Voted up, shared and pinned.

AUTHOR

Linda Crampton

6 years agofrom British Columbia, Canada

This sounds like an interesting plan, Martin. Thanks for sharing the information.

Martin Kloess

6 years agofrom San Francisco

In SF, we are fined heavily for not separating our trash.

AUTHOR

Linda Crampton

6 years agofrom British Columbia, Canada

Thank you very much for the comment and the votes, Pamela! Yes, we do need to find new materials to make the everyday products that we use. Research and development are very important to help us live in harmony with nature.

Pamela Oglesby

6 years agofrom Sunny Florida

I knew plastic was a problem in the ocean,but I didn't realize to what degree. This is an excellent, very informative hub. It is really a huge problem and we need to find alternative products. People use to just deal with glass and wash everything. They survived and didn't destroy nature doing so. Voted up and awesome.

AUTHOR

Linda Crampton

6 years agofrom British Columbia, Canada

Hi, drbj. Thanks for the comment! I appreciate it. Yes, we must find substitutes for conventional plastics, or at least better ways to deal with plastic. Plastic waste is a serious problem already, and the problem is going to get worse if we don't find a solution now.

drbj and sherry

6 years agofrom south Florida

You are so right, Alicia, that our enormous usage of plastic products may be harming not only marine life but ultimately ourselves when we ingest fish, for example. We must find substitutes that are less harmful. Excellent research and exposition, m'dear. Voted Up.

AUTHOR

Linda Crampton

6 years agofrom British Columbia, Canada

Hi, Peg. Thank you very much for the comment, the vote and the share. I'm been thinking back to my childhood since I wrote this hub and realizing how little plastic was in my life. I love the technological advances that have happened in the present. The use of plastic in our modern devices and world is worrying, though, due to the huge amount of plastic waste that is being created.

Peg Cole

6 years agofrom Northeast of Dallas, Texas

Hi Alicia. I'm in that age group that remembers life with little or no plastic. Even the large soda bottles were made of glass and milk came in a waxed cardboard carton. For some time now, I've been concerned about the huge island of garbage and plastic that has invaded our oceans. Our marine wild life is definitely endangered by these careless discards. You've really described the dangers of plastic and its long life span here, to the point, that we all need to curb our consumption whenever possible. Voted up and shared.

AUTHOR

Linda Crampton

6 years agofrom British Columbia, Canada

Thank you very much, Martie! It must be hard for young people to realize that it was once possible to live without plastic! Plastics certainly aren't evil - they are used to make very useful items. It's the way that we treat them that's the problem. I would love the production of biodegradable plastics to replace the manufacture of conventional plastics. Consumer education is important, though. At the moment, "biodegradable" plastics are only biodegradable under certain conditions.

Martie Coetser

6 years agofrom South Africa

I remember a time plastic was not available. Containers were made of tin, glass, ceramic, paper, etc. Then came plastic. Now I can't imagine life without plastic. I LOVE the fact that corn can be converted into plastic, and, of course, recycling of plastic is essential. It should not become dangerous waste.

Excellent hub, Alicia. I learn so much from you :)

AUTHOR

Linda Crampton

6 years agofrom British Columbia, Canada

Hi, Bill. Yes, we depend on plastic in so many ways. This is truly the "plastic age"! Reducing plastic use and recycling are important, but eliminating plastic completely is virtually impossible for most people. Thank you for the comment.

Bill Holland

6 years agofrom Olympia, WA

Can you imagine life without plastic? All of the things we use on a daily basis that would be gone.....I doubt modern society could adjust, and yet everything you said in this hub is true.

Connect with us

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, soapboxie.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

This is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)

Google AdSense Host API

This service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)

This is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)

Facebook Login

You can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)

Maven

This supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)

We may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.

Conversion Tracking Pixels

We may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.

Statistics

Author Google Analytics

This is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)

Comscore

ComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)

Amazon Tracking Pixel

Some articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)